Police Fear Fans Celebrating Late On Sunday Could Cause Trouble

18 October 2012 03:31

Police in South Tyneside say they are expecting fans to behave themselves before - during - and after the derby match on Sunday.

Police in South Tyneside have told pubs to ban football shirts from being worn after 6pm in a bid to stop people from staying out for hours after the match.

Kick-off at the Stadium of Shite is at 1.30pm to try to curb drinking before the game and police have written to licence-holders asking them to keep an eye out for unruly behaviour.

South Tyneside Acting Chief Inspector Don Wade: “We work alongside licensees and Pubwatch in the run-up to each derby match.

“We aren’t telling people how to run their premises. We are simply offering advice which licensees and staff always take on board as they want the day to be enjoyable and their pub or club to be safe for customers and staff alike.

“In South Tyneside we generally don’t have big problems surrounding the derby match, but we recognise the need to be prepared should any incidents occur.

“Additional police will be patrolling throughout the day to closely monitor pubs and clubs to combat any potential disorder, but also offer reassurance to managers, staff and customers.

“We hope everyone enjoys the match but will take positive action against any problems that arise.”

All pubs and clubs in the borough were sent a letter asking staff to refuse to serve customers who are drunk and to display notices warning people that abuse or violence will not be tolerated.